Below par Robins crash out of RUR at hands of Roffey
Exiting knockout competitions to lower division clubs is something Hassocks have specialised in over the years.
It turns out not even this Robins side currently flying high in third place in the Southern Combination Premier Division are immune to the trait.
A below par display saw Hassocks denied a place in the quarter finals of the Sussex Principal RUR Charity Cup by Division One leaders Roffey, who ran out 2-0 winners at Bartholomew Way.
Judging by the starting XI named by James Westlake, the Robins knew this would be a tough evening. Against both AFC Uckfield Town in the Sussex Senior Cup and AFC Varndeanians in the previous round of this competition, Westlake rotated his squad.
Those two outfits are Premier Division clubs like Hassocks. Despite Roffey being from the division below, the Robins went pretty much full strength.
The only changes from their weekend win over Varndeanians were enforced, Sean Stephenson and Alex Fair missing out to be replaced by Kyle Woolven and Pat Harding.
Harding and Woolven made bright starts and almost combined to give Hassocks the lead inside the opening few minutes.
Super Pat hung up a left wing cross which Jahobi Maher could only head clear as far as Woolven lurking on the edge of the area.
Woolven struck a low, powerful volley. Roffey goalkeeper Luis Correia appeared worried enough until the strike hit the unfortunate Alfie Loversidge and headed out towards the right flank. It would have been considered a great block from Loversidge had it happened up the other end.
Speaking of the other end, that is where the Robins’ misfortune spread to next as a comical own goal gave Roffey the lead on five minutes.
Boars right back Jake Le Grange clipped a diagonal pass into the box towards target man Joao Andrade, battling with Alex Bygraves.
When neither Andrade nor Bygraves won the header as expected, Tom Frankland covering behind found himself caught by surprise that the cross was now coming towards him.
Frankland stuck out a leg in an attempt to clear, only to succeed in scooping the ball straight over the head of the helpless Fraser Trigwell.
The Robins lost their normal composure after that and Roffey could have been out of sight before half time.
Trigwell made an extraordinary double save, pushing away at full stretch a shot on the turn from outside the area by Andrade.
The Hassocks number one then somehow recovered, scrambling to his left to tip the follow up from Maher around the post. Not that Trigwell got the credit he deserved for the second stop as a goal kick was strangely awarded.
Next Trigwell came through a crowd of bodies to punch an in-swinging corner away. The loose ball fell to Shaun Findlay but his effort was lifted inches over the bar.
Devon Fender and George Cousins dribbled shots from distance wide early in the second half. Fender then managed to escape through a gap between Frankland and Matt Gunn.
Frankland to his credit did well to recover, forcing Fender just wide enough so that the angle became too tight for the Roffey forward to find the bottom corner when firing across Trigwell.
The Boars were awarded a free kick in a dangerous position with 72 minutes on the clock. Trigwell was brave in coming through a crowd of players to punch clear at the expense of a corner, taking a whack from Findlay in the process.
Fender delivered said corner, substitute Bradley Tighe cleared back towards the Roffey wide man and he crossed again.
This time, Bygraves headed away. The ball bounced awkwardly in front of Ricardo Fernandes, hitting the arm of the brother of Manchester United’s Bruno.
It was such a clear handball that Fernandes was visibly frustrated a promising opportunity was about to be brought to an end by the referee’s whistle.
Except there was no whistle. Referee Richard Smallwood allowed play to continue, Jamie Wanstall picked up the pieces and fired into the bottom corner with his new pair of lurid orange boots to double Roffey’s advantage.
The circumstances of the goal were undoubtedly questionable but only a brave man would suggest Roffey did not deserve it.
Hassocks at least finished with a flurry of three chances, even if the general feeling around the ground was their goose had been cooked by the second Boars goal.
All fell to Liam Benson. Correia made a good reaction save from a stretching volley, a looping header dropped just wide of the post and Findlay then got an important touch to divert a vicious drive off target.
Hassocks: Fraser Trigwell; Tom Frankland, Matt Gunn, Alex Bygraves, Joe Bull; Alfie Loversidge, Jamie Wilkes, Mike Williamson, Pat Harding; Kyle Woolven, Liam Benson.
Subs: Bradley Tighe, Lewis Westlake, Josh Munday, Sam Smith, Josh Nandhra (used).
Starman: Jamie Wilkes.
